Optometrist erased from GOC registers

The fitness of practice of Ilford-based optometrist Ricky Patel has been found to be impaired by virtue of a "failure to remediate deficiencies in his knowledge and practice."

As a result of the determination made by a General Optical Council (GOC) Fitness to Practise committee, Mr Patel has been removed from the regulator's registers and is now unable to practise in the UK.

The decision was made following an earlier suspension of the optometrist for failing to conduct a proper and adequate eye examination, making inadequate records and dealing inadequately with the referral process. Furthermore, the FTP committee noted that the practitioner had "been given opportunities during his suspension period to remediate his performance deficiencies, but he had failed to do so."

Commenting on the case, chair of the FTP committee said: "Although the registrant's deficiencies were remediable, he had failed to attempt remediation or show any insight, despite having been given two years to do so. The committee was influenced by the registrant's determination not to engage in the fitness to practise process and continued lack of any insight into his deficiencies. This demonstrated a lack of insight into his own misconduct and ongoing impairment."

They added: "In the committee's view, the only appropriate sanction in the circumstances of this case was erasure."

Mr Patel is currently suspended from the register and has until 10 August to appeal the erasure. If an appeal is not lodged, he will be erased from the register on 13 August.